Presentation to MD/PhD Students
Research Program in Psychiatry
Joey W. Trampush, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences
USC Keck School of Medicine
February 4, 2025
RDoC Cognitive Systems GWAS (R03 MH123787)
Project Goals:
- Investigate latent molecular genetic architecture of working memory
- Use existing COGENT consortium data
- Identify genome-wide allelic variation
- Focus on causal, not just correlational relationships
Working Memory as RDoC Construct
- Core RDoC Cognitive Systems Domain
- Active maintenance of goal-relevant info
- Resists interference
- Limited capacity system
- Highly heritable trait
Project Innovation
- Large-scale dataset (COGENT)
- Novel analytical methods
- Focus on causality
- Pathway to treatments
- Transdiagnostic implications
Early Development & Brain Function (R01 DK110793)
Research Focus:
- Impact of early feeding practices
- Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs)
- Effects on obesity development
- Brain development trajectories
- Longitudinal design
- Multi-modal assessment
- Developmental outcomes
- Clinical implications
AHRQ ADHD Review Project (75Q80120D00009)
- Update to 2018 AHRQ review
- Focus on diagnosis and treatment
- Children and adolescents
- Evidence-based guidelines
- Treatment recommendations
Integration & Clinical Impact
How these projects work together:
- Genetic architecture → Treatment targets
- Early development → Prevention strategies
- Clinical guidelines → Evidence-based care
- Translational potential → Improved outcomes
Future Directions
Research Goals:
- Expand genetic findings
- Identify biomarkers
- Develop interventions
- Improve diagnostics
Clinical Applications:
- Personalized medicine
- Early intervention
- Treatment optimization
- Outcome prediction